1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a device, an information processing system, and a control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is currently known, some type of image forming apparatus provides a plurality of functions such as a facsimile function, a printer function, a copier function, and a scanner function even though the apparatus is housed in a single casing. Such an image forming apparatus may be referred to as a multifunction peripheral (MFP) or a multifunction machine, for example.
Such an image forming apparatus may include a display unit, a printing unit, and an imaging unit in its casing. The image forming apparatus may also have application programs for performing the facsimile function, the printer function, the copier function, and the scanner function. The image forming apparatus may switch from one application program to another when using the application programs. This switching allows the image forming apparatus to function as a facsimile apparatus, a printer apparatus, a copying machine, and a scanner apparatus.
Furthermore, the image forming apparatus may have a login feature. For example, a user may log in to the image forming apparatus using a user name and a password to use the facsimile function and the printer function. The image forming apparatus may be configured to impose restrictions on use of the functions on a per-user basis.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2010-186328 discloses an image forming apparatus with an aim of facilitating convenience in using an integrated circuit (IC) card that requires a user to enter a secret number (personal identification number (PIN) when using the IC card. The image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2010-186328 includes a validation unit that validates a user of an IC card. The image forming apparatus also includes a login unit that processes login of the user using the IC card, in which login-related information is stored. The image forming apparatus also includes a storage unit that, when the user of the IC card is validated and thereafter login is successfully processed by the login unit using the IC card, stores identifier information and a secret number of the IC card.
After the login process, the image forming apparatus operates as follows. When the need for entering the secret number arises from use of the/an IC card, the image forming apparatus obtains identifier information from the IC card and compares the identifier information with the identifier information stored in the storage unit. If the identifier information matches, the image forming apparatus validates a user of the IC card by reusing the secret number stored in the storage unit as being associated with the identifier information. Thus, when the need for entering the secret number arises from use of the IC card after the login process, the image forming apparatus can eliminate the need of entering the secret number a second time, thereby facilitating convenience in using the IC card.
An application program (authentication-type application program) that performs user authentication can access information stored in an authentication device such as an IC card if a user is authenticated as an authorized user. By contrast, it will be difficult for an application program (non-authentication-type application program) that does not perform user authentication to authenticate a user as an authorized user without performing user authentication. Furthermore, it is not preferable to permit a non-authentication-type application program to access the information stored in the authentication device without performing user authentication. These reasons make it difficult for a non-authentication-type application program to use information stored in an authentication device.
Under the circumstances, it has conventionally been difficult to securely share information stored in an authentication device between an authentication-type application program and a non-authentication-type application program.
Meanwhile, the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2010-186328 allows only an authentication-type application program to access information stored in the IC card by reusing the secret number. It is difficult for a non-authentication-type application program to reuse the information stored in the authentication device because the program does not perform user authentication. Accordingly, even when the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2010-186328 is employed, it is difficult to securely share information stored in an IC card between an authentication-type application program and a non-authentication-type application program.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a device, an information processing system, and a control method that allow securely sharing information stored in an authentication device.